Gate of the Crow
by BelleDayNight
Summary: Death was just the beginning for Itachi and he becomes a Celestial Spirit, equal in strength to the Zodiacs. Team Natsu heads east for a job and runs across Sakura's ANBU team as they search for clues of their missing teammate, Sasuke. They must team up to defeat a great evil that threatens all life. The border between the worlds of the living and dead become blurred.
1. Chapter One

**Title: Gate of the Crow**

**Summary: ** Death was just the beginning for Itachi and he becomes a Celestial Spirit, equal in strength to the Zodiacs. Team Natsu heads east for a job and runs across Sakura's ANBU team as they search for clues of their missing teammate, Sasuke. They must team up to defeat a great evil that threatens all life.

_Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto and Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima. _

_Naruto time frame: After manga issue 699._

_Fairy Tail time frame: References up to the Hades arc._

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><p><strong>Chapter One:<strong>

Peace. It was all Itachi Uchiha had ever wanted. He was but a small child during the Third Great Ninja War that had claimed so many lives — including that of the Fourth Hokage. Had Minato Namikaze survived, the tragedy that befell the Uchihas might have been avoided. Years later, Itachi died fighting for his village and protecting them as a double agent of the Akatsuki while always making sure that his baby brother was alive and strong.

He had tried to make Sasuke hate him, because he thought that hate made one stronger. That was the Uchiha mentality after all. He was wrong. He had only made his brother full of rage and misdirection. An unusual twist of fate brought Itachi back to life, and he was able to help the Allied Shinobi Nations against the threat of his ancestors and Kabuto. He defeated the latter with the assistance of the little brother that he sacrificed so much for. It was the only time they'd fought alongside one another and he cherished the memory.

When Itachi Uchiha had gone to the grave for the second time it had been done with a clear conscience and a world-weary soul. He'd helped those still living in the world in the Fourth Great Ninja War and would now have his much deserved peace. He had never been one for religion. Though he did believe in the philosophy of Buddhism and he found a certain sense of connection with the beliefs of Shintoism given a ninja's affiliation for the elements. This wasn't the first time he died, so when he left the mortal realm for the second time after he'd done what he could in the war, he fully expected to experience the blissful oblivion of solitude and peace.

What he did not expect was to be standing before a massive presence known as The Spirit King.

"Itachi Uchiha, welcome to the afterlife — again," The Spirit King greeted him. He had a mind-blowing amount of chakra and while his bushy beard might have made him appear genial, it seemed more like a broom to sweep up the mess of his meals. Itachi had to wonder just what he ate. The souls of the dead, perhaps?

"Sir," Itachi replied cooly. He stood with a relaxed posture and pushed aside his worries. One does not live their life as a double agent in the most dangerous mercenary group without being able to stand on their own. If this giant creature attacked him, he'd find out its weakness and respond accordingly.

"I can read your thoughts, Itachi. You have had a hard life, made very difficult choices, and struggled to protect both your village and your loved ones. When your two loyalties were in direct opposition you chose duty and to be honorable. I am here to judge you," the Spirit King declared.

Itachi frowned at the man's words. Judgment? Was this akin to the Egyptian beliefs? Would a giant crocodile eat his heart if he was found wanting? And why did he not go through this before when he died the first time? This was, after all, his second time to die. "And what have you found, Spirit King?"

The massive king began to laugh, the sound shook the very ground upon which Itachi stood. Maybe, this king intended to eat him personally. "WIth every generation of man, I see if there was one individual soul that stands out amongst his or her brethren. And that soul is given an opportunity to become a celestial spirit. It has been many centuries since I have found a soul in which to make this offer, Itachi Uchiha."

Okay, so he wasn't about to be eaten. Itachi calculated his options. He doubted if he could put such a creature into a genjutsu. Most likely a giant fireball wouldn't do him any good either. "What was so spectacular about my life, that makes you want to extend to me this offer?"

The Spirit King began to laugh again. "So humble. I told you, that I can read your mind, but I can also read your heart. You believe you only did what any capable shinobi would have done. I can tell you that your actions are what saved your world from the tyranny of your uncles. Naruto Uzumaki would have been captured in his youth before his training could be completed if it had not been for you protecting him from the Akatsuki. He, your brother — whom you also spared in that massacre, their female teammate, and their leader — a former teammate of yours while you were in ANBU were the quartet of ninjas most responsible for ending the Fourth Great Ninja War."

Itachi was proud to hear that his brother was included in the four that had stopped the war. Perhaps they would help usher in the era of peace amongst the shinobi. He thought of Naruto and Sakura — Sasuke's old teammates— along with Kakashi his friend from long ago. He was glad that they had never given up on his wayward little brother. "I am glad to hear of this outcome," Itachi said.

"You have proven yourself time and again as a great protector. My offer to you is to make you into the Celestial Spirit of the Crow. And after all the years of heartbreak you may cast aside the name of Itachi Uchiha and be known as Reaper.

"A shinigami? A reaper of death?" Itachi asked.

"No, no," the Spirit King said waving aside the idea with a casual flip of his hand. "You will work with a celestial spirit mage in battle. You will continue to protect those around you with your powers. You will become part of the Celestial Spirit World."

"So I will not join the resting home of my ancestors?" Itachi asked. His thoughts went to his mother, father, and best friend Shisui.

The Spirit King shook his head. "No, you will be a protector spirit from now until the end of days."

"I know that time here and in the realm of the living passes differently. I must know, is Sasuke still alive?" Itachi asked.

"Yes. And if you associate yourself with a spirit mage, it is possible that you will cross paths with him and his friends. You will be tied to the life of that mage and his or her timeline."

It would give him a chance to see what sort of life his brother made for himself. However, it was time Itachi stopped living his life for the sake of his little brother. "Do I get to choose this mage?"

"Your key will be very powerful. As in life where you were able to overcome evil influences if you do not accept your master any contract you make with them will be null and void. This is an unique trait that you will possess. You will be too powerful of a celestial spirit to fall into the hands of a madman. And power breeds madness."

That didn't sound too bad. "Do you have a mage in mind then, Spirit King?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. She's a very promising wizard. She already possesses most of the Zodiac Keys. Her spirits love her and consider her a friend. And unlike most spirit mages she values the health of her spirits and doesn't treat them as tools."

"Does she have a name?" Itachi pressed.

"She is a member of the Fairy Tail Guild and her name is Lucy Heartfilia. She and her teammates will soon be facing tribulation on an epic scale and she will need the help of Reaper — the Spirit of Death from the Gate of the Crow," the Spirit King explained.

"I don't suppose she might utilize the assistance of her nearby ninja clans," Itachi murmured.

"You could suggest it to her, but once you see her teammates you might find that unnecessary. Have you made your choice, Itachi?"

"Call me Reaper," Itachi decided.

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><p><em>AN: I had wanted to wait until I finished some other stories first before posting this, but I've been waiting over a year to share….so here is the introduction!_


	2. Chapter Two

_In Gaul mythology, crows are known as the harbinger of death. In Hinduism, crows are intermediaries that bring offerings to deceased ancestors. In ancient Egypt, the crow was a symbol of faithful love._

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><p><strong>Chapter Two:<strong>

In Fiore, a land to the far west of Earthland was the city of Magnolia. It was the home of the Fairy Tail Guild — a family of mages that believed love and friendship were far more important than power and wealth. Within that Guild of talented warriors, Team Natsu was declared the strongest. It was a team of five that consisted of a powerful woman named Titania, a Celestial Spirit Mage with contracts and strong friendships with most of the Zodiacs, an Exceed, and two male rivals — a Fire Dragon Slayer and and an Ice Mage with Demon Slayer abilities. Jobs taken by this team had a one-hundred percent completion rating, but the amount of damages inflicted during the jobs often negated the large payments.

"Trust me, it's going to be fine," Gray promised with a confident smile. He grasped Lucy's wrist and pulled her forcefully towards the stream that ran near the guild hall. He glanced over his shoulder at her and eyed her up and down from her over-sized purple sweater down to her knee-high brown leather boots. "You wore your swimsuit, right?"

"Yes, under my outfit I wore my swimsuit," Lucy scowled. She was nervous about their practice. Juvia was already waiting, looking forward to Gray's request to practice Ice Magic with her, not realizing that he'd meant to include Lucy in their sparring session. "Juvia is expecting a one-on-one practice with you, Gray. She doesn't want me there," Lucy protested. She tried to pulled her arm out of his grip, but Gray merely tightened his hold.

"She already thinks we're rivals for your love. I really don't want her trying to kill me again," Lucy complained, digging her heels into the ground and halting their progress.

"You're my teammate, Lucy. Not her." Gray turned to face Lucy, hooking his finger under her chin to make her look up and meet his navy blue gaze. "Loke says that you're the best Celestial Spirit Mage and that's no small praise coming from the king of the zodiacs considering that he's been around for a long time. But, now you hold a huge responsibility with Aquarius' water powers. You're a member of Fairy Tail's strongest team. You have to learn to master all your abilities." He released her chin and pinched her nose between his thumb and index finger teasingly. "No more arguing. Besides, if you master Water Magic I won't need to team up with Juvia so often. You and I can handle more jobs and it will be even easier to keep up with your rent!"

Lucy brushed away his hand in annoyance. She walked alongside Gray and hoped for the best. At least if Gray was there, Juvia wouldn't actually try to hurt her. She'd be too afraid of disappointing her Gray-sama. It wasn't that Lucy was against learning how to use her new water mage skills, but every time she tried to use them she was reminded of the loss of her oldest friend, Aquarius. At least when she was feeling sad, a rain cloud didn't form over her head.

"Gray-sama!" Juvia exclaimed, her eyes bright with little red hearts as she clasped her hands together over her chest. Her expression darkened immediately upon spying Lucy at Gray's side. "What are you doing here?" she sneered, her eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"Hi Juvia!" Lucy smiled brightly and tried to ignore her friend's anger. "Gray told me about how you are the absolute best with Water Mage magic and that he hoped you could give me some pointers so that I'm not a complete liability to the team."

Juvia's expression softened and she turned to Gray eagerly. "You think I'm the absolute best, Gray-sama?"

Gray nodded solemnly. "I wouldn't trust anyone else with this important mission."

The hearts reappeared in Juvia's eyes. "Well, if it's for you, of course, Gray-sama. Though, I thought you wanted to practice some moves with me for the missions that are best suited for us."

"Ice and Water magic work well together," Gray answered, tugging on his shirt collar nervously. "I was hoping that between the two of us, we could help Lucy become more comfortable with her new abilities."

"And since Natsu is my mission partner, it would be nice if I could help manage some of the damage control against his Fire," Lucy added. "It gets expensive." She thought about her last mission with Natsu. He'd burned down a priceless tapestry while managing to apprehend a trio of dark guild mages that had kidnapped their client's young daughter. The client had been overjoyed about the return of his daughter, but they'd received no payment for their job in order to cover the damages.

Juvia smiled at Gray once more before turning her attention to Lucy. "Okay, rival, not all elemental magic is the same. As you may have noticed Gray-sama creates inanimate objects from his Ice magic while Lyon makes creatures. The same can be true with water. I am made of water, so I do not need a supply of water to make my magic happen. You too are made of water. Humans are composed primarily of the element."

"Um, well, when Aquarius was summoned, she needed to have a water source nearby. I would assume that I would need that as well," Lucy said. She tried not to cringe at imagining herself turning into a puddle of water like she'd seen Juvia do before. It creeped her out.

Juvia tapped her chin thoughtfully and cast a sly look towards Gray. "We should change into swimsuits."

"What? Why?" Lucy panicked. It wasn't that she had a problem wearing a swimsuit, but her and Gray's track records for losing articles of clothing during battle it might be better to start off with more clothing. "I have my swimsuit under my clothes. Isn't that good enough?"

Juvia stripped off her conservative dress and stood in a skimpy pale blue bikini. Lucy caught the curve of Gray's lips. With a sigh, Lucy removed her boots, skirt, and sweater revealing her red bikini. Gray's grin turned wolfish and suddenly his shirt was missing.

"Can you mold the water from the stream?" Juvia asked.

Lucy bit her lip and concentrated. She could feel the presence of the water and she held her hands out in front of her. A sphere of water shifted from the stream to be spun in a ball between her hands. Lucy looked up and met Juvia's critical eye and the water splashed into a huge mess soaking her chest.

Juvia sighed. "This is going to take some time."

Lucy grit her teeth in frustration. It was going to be a long day. A warm hand fell upon Lucy's bare shoulder.

"You ladies keep at it, Gray and I will work on some moves just a little ways away," Loke said with a charming smile. He adjusted his glasses and inspected first Lucy and then Juvia's bikini-clad bodies. "Not too far, mind you."

Gray grabbed Loke's elbow and yanked him away. "Just call when you're ready to practice some Ice-Water combinations."

"Your Lion Spirit is a bit of a pervert," Juvia commented.

"Not so much a pervert as a womanizer. He's a real gentleman when it suits him," Lucy explained. Juvia wasn't part of the Fairy Tail Guild back when Loke masqueraded as a regular human mage. It was weeks after Lucy joined that it was revealed he was a Celestial Spirit, avoiding the Spirit World worried about the consequences of his former master passing away after he refused to answer her summons. Lucy had intervened on his behalf and begged the Spirit King to forgive Loke. She'd saved his life and he was one of her best friends ever since. Not to mention, he was her strongest Zodiac Spirit.

"From what I remember of Aquarius, she mostly just swept away problems in a massive tsunami," Juvia said.

"That's about right," Lucy answered.

"Let's work on refining your aim first then."

The next three hours were spent training. As time progressed, with Gray obviously engaged in a sparring match with Loke and ignoring the two women, Juvia began to focus less on trying to impress Gray and actually on instructing Lucy.

Lucy held up her hand. "I need to take a break," she said. She collapsed onto the water-saturated ground and laid on her back breathing heavily.

Loke approached her while Gray spoke with Juvia to ask about her progress. Lucy barely looked over towards her Zodiac Spirit when he crouched next to her. His lips were pressed tightly together and his eyes were worried behind his glasses.

"Is something wrong?" Lucy asked.

"There is been a surge of celestial power in the Spirit World," Loke answered. "I'm not sure what it means, but with the loss of Aquarius, it could mean that another Celestial Spirit was created."

"Another Aquarius?" Lucy sat up and groaned as a muscle in her mid-back seized up and spasmed.

Loke's hand shot out for her bare back and he began to absently massage the tense muscle. "You're dehydrated," he murmured. "This is why Aquarius always used a nearby source of water. It's too dangerous to attempt Water Magic without a ready supply. If the spell is too great, you might take too much water from your own body." The discomfort eased under his touch. "And no, not like Aquarius. This feels like something different. Like a Zodiac Spirit, but not." He rubbed his brow with his free hand. "I don't know."

"You should go check it out then," Lucy encouraged. She glanced towards Juvia and Gray. The Water Mage currently had her hands on Gray's shoulders and was leaning close. The tips of Gray's ears were bright red.

"I'm not really sure I should leave you alone with those two," Loke said, following her gaze. He moved his hand away fro Lucy's back.

"I've had enough practice. I'm heading home anyway." Lucy stood and brushed a few blades of grass off the back of her legs and then slipped back on her skirt and sweater.

"Want me to walk you home?" Loke asked.

"That would be excellent," Lucy agreed. She picked up her boots and frowned. Her wet skin was going to ruin the leather.

"Why don't I carry you?" Loke offered. Before Lucy could protest, he swept her into his arms. She let out a little cry of surprise and fumbled her boots until she had them pressed against her chest.

"Hey Gray! I'm taking Lucy home!" Loke called out before breaking into a run towards the residential portion of the city, ignoring Gray's shout to wait.

Lucy clutched onto the front of Loke's green fur-lined jacket, keeping the boots as a barrier between her boobs and his chest. It was kind of nice and chivalrous to be carried back to her apartment. Though, it would have been nice if maybe a boyfriend had carried her and not her womanizing Celestial Spirit.

Lucy was exhausted both physically and mentally by the time Loke dropped her off outside of her apartment. He popped back into the Spirit World and she trudged inside her front door. Her clothes were soaking wet and her hair clung to her face in drenched tangles. She dumped her boots next to the entrance and closed and locked the door behind her. She marched straight toward her bed with every intention of going straight to sleep.

At least that was the plan, until she realized her bed was occupied.

"What are you doing?" Lucy demanded, gripping her pillow and hitting her intruder on the head with it. "Get out!"

Natsu laid stretched out on his back on top of her bed. He caught the pillow, opened his dark eyes, and frowned. "Why are you all wet?" He set aside the pillow and scratched the back of his head, mussing his pink hair.

"Training session," Lucy answered tiredly. "What are you doing in my apartment? In my bed?"

"Your apartment is so much cleaner than mine," he said. "And Happy is with Wendy and Carla and I was bored. I thought I'd just take a nap and wait for you to come home."

"Okay." Lucy sat on the edge of her bed and cradled her head in her hands. She had a terrible headache forming at her temples. All she wanted to do was go to sleep and wake up next week. "How did you get in here?"

"The chimney," Natsu said. He sat up, yanked off her over-sized sweater, and tossed it to the floor where it landed in a wet plop. Lucy squealed in surprise as a chill rushed over her damp skin. Natsu laid his hands on Lucy's bare shoulders and warmth washed over her body drying her skin. "You need to take care of yourself."

"Hmm," Lucy murmured laying back on her bed, not caring the she wore only her bikini and a slightly damp miniskirt. She closed her eyes. "Just don't hog the covers. I'm too tired to kick you out."

Natsu picked up the discarded pillow and set it under Lucy's head. He then reached for the pink comforter and wrapped it around their bodies. His elevated body temperature quickly heated up the cocoon he'd formed around Lucy and she fell into an exhausted slumber.

"Sure thing, Lucy," he agreed.

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><p><strong>OoO<strong>

Far to the east of Earthland was home to the Five Great Shinobi Countries. The villages of Rock, Sand, Leaf, Cloud, and Mist had in recent years allied together in the Fourth Great Ninja War. Three years had passed since the defeat of the Akatsuku mercenary band and their leaders Madara and Obito Uchiha.

Sakura reached up and adjusted her ANBU mask. It was really quite useless for her to wear it. Just how many pink haired kunoichi were there in Konoha? It wasn't like her identity was truly hidden. She glanced to her side to where her teammates Naruto and Sai kneeled next to her. Naruto's identity was just as obvious as hers with his bright yellow blond hair.

They were waiting for the Hokage, who was late as usual, to present their report. It had been twenty minutes since they had started kneeling before his desk. Sakura suspected that he did this to them purposely. An exercise in patience that was only serving to annoy his former teammates. Shikamaru leaned against the far wall looking impatient as he kept stealing glances at his wrist watch and sighing repeatedly.

Eventually, the back door to the office opened and Kakashi, the Sixth Hokage, stumbled out with his nose stuck in a dog-eared copy of Icha Icha Tactics. "Oh, hey, I didn't realize you had already arrived." He smiled at them, his matching charcoal gray eyes crinkled at the corners while the rest of his face was hidden behind his ever present black mask.

Naruto grunted, Sai remained silent, and Sakura glared at him with all the annoyance she could muster in her gaze. Kakashi met her eyes and visibly swallowed. He snapped shut his book and shoved it into the inside pocket of his Hokage robes. "Just trying to keep it light. Carry on our tradition. I had to help an old feeble woman cross the street."

Shikamaru snorted.

"I did! Lady Tsunade was quite drunk. If I hadn't helped her she might have passed out on the street!" Kakashi protested.

"Our mission went as expected," Sakura stated, ignoring Kakashi's blatant lie. She knew for a fact that Lady Tsunade was at the hospital on her afternoon rounds. She held out the mission report she'd written that morning. Sai had sent Kakashi a preliminary report four nights before as they made their return trek from the northeastern border of Lightning back to Konoha.

"Very good," Kakashi said, taking the scroll from her hand without bothering to read it. He handed it to Shikamaru, who sighed again and then read through it. "You can stand," he said, gesturing for them to rise.

Sakura rose smoothly to her feet, ignoring the uncomfortable pins and needles sensation from sitting in the same position for so long. Kakashi leaned against the edge of his desk and peered at them, his hand reaching for the book inside his robes.

"Has there been any word?" Naruto asked, his voice laced with impatience.

Kakashi shook his head and brought his hand back to his side. "Not since the sighting six months ago at the far western provinces of the Earth Country. Though, it's been chaotic there since the death of the Tsuchikage."

Sakura's hand fisted against her thigh. Sasuke had left the village a couple of months after the conclusion of the great war with a clean slate and a new forehead protector. He'd apologized to her and Naruto and promised that he'd return home soon. During the month long interlude when he had been reintroduced to Konoha and they'd gone on several dates. She thought that maybe they'd finally be the couple she'd always dreamed of. Then he'd left to atone for his sins. She'd received a couple of letters his first year away, but nothing since.

"Now, who's interested in joining me for a dinner at Ichiraku Ramen?" Kakashi asked.

"Great idea, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto shouted enthusiastically.

"He's just trying to get a free meal out of us," Sakura grumbled. Kakashi smiled at her words, validating her suspicion.

"You are well-paid, high-ranking ANBU," Kakashi pointed out. "Put on some civilian clothes. I'll meet you there." He vanished from his office with a puff of smoke.

Shikamaru groaned. "I hate when he does that. I already saw to it that your pay was deposited in your respective banks." He looked at his watch again. "Temari will be waiting for me at home. Take tomorrow to recuperate and I'll see you in two days with your next assignment."

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><p><em>AN: Special thanks to those that have given this story a shot and took the time to review. I really appreciate your encouragement! Thank you very much: Sharbait-ooohaha, Daxen123, sakusasu91, and SeakerOfPeace!_

_There will be more - much more!_


	3. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three:**

It was an unusual land compared to any that Itachi had visited during his mortal life. There were areas of lush green forest with crystal clear streams that reminded him of Konoha. The trees in this foreign land were much taller and much older than the ones from his youth. The sky was usually blue, but today it was a pale amethyst color. Colorful wildflowers blanketed the hills and if he were to run his fingertips over the pedals, the flowers would transform into butterflies and flutter away. It was just so pretty, and while he preferred the dark colors of black and crimson, he could appreciate the rich variety of colors in the foreign land.

He spent most of his time in this tranquil region of forestland. Everywhere he went crows followed, never far away. They served as his familiars. Through their eyes, he could see kilometers into the distance and unlike mortal crows, these could see in color. Strange creatures roamed the land that he'd only read about when he was a young boy in one of Shisui's old illustrated children's books. Fauns with their golden fur-lined lower goat-like bodies, human torsos, and heads with tiny horns made music on their flutes in the distance and danced amongst the trees and fields of flowers.

At least half of the trees were from tree-nymphs. Willowy women that transformed into trees. The springs led to a great lagoon that was full of mermaids and mermen. He watched as they played games and leapt above the water's surface doing flips with the rainbow scales of their lower bodies catching the sun's light. When he first arrived near the stream, he sensed a somber atmosphere around the merpeople. Since his arrival, it was as if a dark cloud lifted and they began to play. He envied their frivolity.

He concentrated on communicating with his crow familiars. While he was stuck in this strange land, perhaps they would be able to pass the barrier between the Spirit World and the mortal human world. Four crows had flown off in the cardinal directions looking for a passage between the worlds. So far, they had brought him nothing, but more images of the Spirit World and creatures of the likes he'd never even imagined.

Itachi felt no hunger and no thirst. Breathing was a simple matter and his lungs were no longer constricted by the scar tissue and disease that had plagued him the last decade of his life. He could hear the shifting of grass behind him. Using the observations of his familiars, he watched as a man with fiery orange hair, blue glasses, and a black suit approached. The crows whispered in Itachi's mind. _King_ _of_ _the Zodiacs_.

"Mind if I sit here?"

Itachi watched him closely. This King of the Zodiacs didn't appear hostile. "Suit yourself," Itachi answered. He turned his attention back to the fauns across the stream, while using his familiars to keep their attention on the newcomer.

"It has been a long time since the Spirit King created a new Celestial Spirit. You must have been someone special." He held out his hand. "I'm Leo, King of the Zodiacs. You can call me Loke, if you like."

Itachi turned his head towards Leo and eyed his hand warily. He sensed no threat, but he didn't shake his hand. It was a foreign custom he never cared for - too much disease could be spread through such casual touch. With his weak lungs in life, it hadn't been worth the risk. "Reaper."

Leo's eyebrows arched up in surprise. "Your parents named you Reaper?" He retracted his hand slowly and rubbed his palm over the thigh of his pants leg.

Itachi chuckled in genuine amusement, the sensation rarely felt in recent years. Usually he reserved his laughter for unnerving opponents. "No, they did not. It is my current name though given to me by the Spirit King."

"Ah, don't want to talk about your old life. That's understandable. Most of us don't remember much about our mortal lives," Leo said. He looped his arms around one of his knees and followed Itachi's gaze towards the fauns. The hoofed creatures continued their music, though many had stopped dancing, and were now lounging against the trees.

"I remember everything." Itachi closed his eyes briefly and ignored the lump of emotion that rose up in his throat. His life had been scarred by countless tragedy, but the idea of forgetting about who he was and why he sacrificed so much was truly frightening. Suffering had become part of his identity.

"Aries, she's another Zodiac, noticed you've been in this area for the past couple of days. Said you hadn't moved much. Are you hungry?" Leo held out his hand and an assortment of nuts and berries were gathered in his palm.

"I feel no hunger here." Itachi glanced towards the merpeople, but since Leo's arrival they'd dived back under the water's surface. "Time runs different between here and the human world." The question was how different. With his Tsukiyomi he had manipulated time for his victims. What felt like years of torture would pass for them, while in reality only seconds to minutes would have elapsed.

Leo waved his hand and the food vanished. "One time, my human mage and her companions were brought here for a celebration. They had three months to train for a great tournament, but after a few hours spent here, when they returned to their world they only had three days for preparations."

That would be problematic if he had hopes of reuniting with Sasuke or at least checking on his little brother's progress. "Is it possible to wander the human world without a contract and unbidden?"

"So far, I am the only one who has managed such a feat," Leo confessed. "Some of my fellow Zodiacs have been able to summon themselves to the human world when our contractual Celestial Spirit Mage was in danger."

Perhaps his familiars wouldn't be able to find their way into the human world until he'd been summoned. "Were there consequences to remaining in the human world?" Itachi's crows spotted the arrival of two others, similar in strength to Leo, but slightly inferior. One was a giant bull with a huge axe balanced across his shoulder and the other a pink-haired woman in a maid's uniform with chains shackled upon her wrists.

"After a while my essence started to fade. I had been afraid to return to the Spirit World and face the Spirit King. He can be a rather intimidating guy." Leo glanced over his shoulder. "Do you mind if some of my friends join us?"

"Why were you afraid to face the King?" The Spirit King had been intimidating, but he hadn't seemed malicious. "Had you broken a law?"

Leo's eyes were downcast and he took a deep breath to steady himself. "I made it so my contractual human mage wasn't able to call more spirits to help her in battle. She was cruel to her spirits and treated them without respect. She considered us slaves rather than allies."

Itachi thought about Lord Danzo and of his own father, the Head of the Uchiha clan. They both treated their subordinates as tools and had both been murdered for their actions. Sasuke defeating the Root leader was the best thing he could have done for Konoha. At least some good had come from his brother's madness.

"Some people must die, so that others may live," Itachi said. He stood, rising in one fluid motion, his dark cloak billowed behind him. This Leo might prove to be a useful ally if Itachi were to find a way back to the mortal world. "I will meet these friends of yours, but not here. Let us leave these creatures to their merriment."

Leo glanced towards the merpeople, whom had returned to the lagoon's surface to play more games.. "I am glad to see they no longer mourn the loss of Aquarius so keenly. For the last few days, they have sung their songs of melancholy."

They started towards the outer border of the forested area where the other Zodiacs waited. A pink haired woman with ram horns had joined the other pair. Were all the female celestial spirits pink haired? He only knew of one person with pink hair before - the female on Sasuke's genin team. "Who is Aquarius?"

"Queen of the merpeople. She recently sacrificed herself in battle in order to summon the Spirit King to the human world. I think because of her loss, the Spirit King was able to offer you such power to keep the spiritual energy balanced." Leo looked Itachi up and down with an appraising eye. "You might just have more spirit energy than me."

* * *

><p><strong>OoO<strong>

The Zodiac Spirits prepared a banquet for Itachi. While he wasn't hungry, the food and drinks were delicious. It was a pleasant surprise to learn that while food was unnecessary, it could still be enjoyed. He realized the Spirit World had nearly infinite spirits aside from the Zodiacs. A young woman named Lyra played the harp and sang soothing music throughout the meal. Strange white dog-like creatures with golden horn noses scampered about his feet carrying trays filled with more food.

"You should let me style your hair, Ebi," Cancer, the crab-like spirit offered. He sat catty-corner to Itachi at the long table. He eagerly snapped several pairs of scissors in his hands. Itachi resisted the urge to pat down his hair and reassure himself that his long hair was still intact.

"Don't mind him." Virgo, the maiden, placed another goblet of wine in front of Itachi. "He prides himself on his styling skills. It's his way of expressing his hospitality." She sat across from Itachi, her chains jingling with the movement. "What do you think of the Spirit World, Reaper?"

"It's crowded," Itachi answered. He wasn't a wine enthusiast, but even he could appreciate the deep, rich flavor of his drink. His gaze swept across the banquet table. Everyone, save a man with half red and half white hair and a scorpion tail, seemed to be enjoying themselves. Itachi had been perceptive to the pain of others during life, but since the introduction to his new spiritual existence, he could sense when the weight of death lingered around someone. The scorpion had a dark aura around him even greater than what haunted the merpeople.

Leo leaned close to Itachi's ear on his right. "He's Aquarius' boyfriend, Scorpio," Leo explained. "She could be a difficult woman, but to him she was the most devoted and loving girlfriend. He has taken her loss very hard."

"What happens to a spirit that dies?" Itachi asked quietly.

"No one knows," Aries answered. "Well, I mean, I'm sure the Spirit King knows, but no one dares ask him."

"So are you all bound to the same Spirit Mage?" Itachi scanned the table once more taking account of the number of Zodiac spirits. Each possessed traits of their namesakes - Leo, Aries, Virgo, Taurus, Gemini, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Cancer, and Scorpio.

"Lucy held the contract to ten of the Zodiacs," Leo said. "Aquarius was her mother's key and Lucy's first contract." He started to shred the roll of bread on his plate. "Most of us found her after she defeated the previous masters. I was actually part of her guild, masquerading as a human."

Itachi recognized the name from his conversation with the Spirit King. Though, if she was the kind girl these spirits claimed her to be, he doubted she'd have much use for a harvester of death like him. "And the other Zodiacs? There are twelve."

"Yukino Aguria of Sabertooth is a great friend and ally to Lucy," Scorpio said from his end of the table. It was the first time since meeting him that Itachi heard the somber man speak. "She has three Zodiacs, bringing the number of Zodiac spirits to thirteen."

"Yukino has contracts with Pisces, Libra, and Ophiuchus," Leo said. "Ophiuchus is a mystery to us. So, you see, you aren't the only scary new key." Leo shuddered and ran his hands up and down his arms. "Ophiuchus is a giant serpent with fangs longer than even Taurus!"

"My suggestion to you, Reaper, is to seek out Crumudgeon. He goes by Crux. He sleeps a lot these days, but he's very old and very knowledgable. If you have any questions, he would be your best resource," Aries suggested.

"Thank you," Itachi said, dipping his head in acknowledgement. The ram's cheeks burned bright pink and she ducked her head to the side to avoid his eyes.

Virgo braced her elbows against the table and leaned towards Itachi. "Your eyes are fascinating, Reaper. They burn with a crimson light with a kaleidoscope of onyx in constant rotation."

Itachi closed his eyes and felt the familiar chakra drain of his Sharingan. He shut down his bloodline gift and when he opened his eyes again they were a dark onyx. "Better?"

Virgo frowned. "There was nothing wrong, just interesting." She shrugged and then leaned back. "If you tire of those depressing clothes I can create a lovely wardrobe for you." She turned to Taurus. "I have holes to dig, will you assist?"

Taurus pushed back his chair and lifted his axe. "Let's moooooove it."

Leo tugged on his shirt sleeves. He wore a rather slick suit. "You should take Virgo up on her offer for a wardrobe. She can make apparel that will cause even the most spoiled prince or princess to be jealous with envy."

"It is not my mission to make envious royals," Itachi said, crinkling his nose and thinking about the daimyo's spoiled children. He felt a strange tugging sensation in the pit of his stomach.

Leo was suddenly alert. "I think you're being summoned," he explained, clapping his hand over Itachi's shoulder. "Remember, you do not have to agree to a contract. Be careful!"

As Itachi entered the mysterious void, Leo's words rang hollow in his mind.

* * *

><p><strong>OoO<strong>

"Open Gate of the Crow — Spirit of Death — Reaper!" a voice called out. Itachi felt himself shift dimensions. His body transformed from his human form into a murder of crows. A hooded figure stood in a wasteland with ash covering the ground below him and blackened trees charcoaled by some recent fire. The man held an onyx key — obviously not the girl mage Lucy he had been told about.

The crows assembled themselves and Itachi stood before a tall, pale man. Itachi resumed the form he had as a human shinobi of the Leaf. However, instead of his black and red cloud Akatsuki robes, he wore a plain black cloak. His underclothes were the same fishnet and black that he wore in life, including the three circle necklace from Shisui he used to wear.

"You called?" Itachi asked in a bland, emotionless tone.

"I wish to make a contract with you, Reaper," the pale man said. He pushed back his hood with thin, boney fingers withered with age. His pale gray eyes sunk deep into his face.

"No contract," Itachi said firmly. "What would you have me do? I may do it without the necessity of a contract." He communicated silently with his familiars that had followed him into the human world. The four that he had sent to explore the Spirit World remained there, but plenty more had followed him into this world during his summons. He sent four more out in search of his brother, Sasuke.

"I need to have you destroy these abominations," the man said gesturing around him.

Itachi observed the field and was mildly impressed by the amount of undead creatures surrounding them. Most seemed to be humans long dead with stark white bones and gray flesh falling off. Some were crawling, some were staggering, and others were tearing apart a herd of goats along unblemished sides of a nearby mountain sparred from the ravages of the recent fire. "What are these things?"

"A problem, Reaper. I need you to drag them back to hell." The old man hacked a phlegmy cough and wiped the back of his hand across his mouth. A trickle of blood fell from the corner of his mouth.

Itachi's eyes narrowed. What were the limits of his new powers as a celestial spirit? His name was Reaper, surely he could reap them. They didn't appear to be alive, but they were still moving. "Are they undead?"

"Yes, they are undead. Now make them dead-dead!" the man cried, coughing once more. He waved his hand in front of his nose. "Blast this smoke!"

"Did you draw them here?" Itachi asked as the creatures continued to close the distance between them and the pale man that would be his master.

"They are going to kill me!" the man pleaded.

"All right," Itachi said. He broke apart to form a murder of crows again. He penetrated the hearts of the creatures, but nothing happened. They continued to stagger on.

"Their heads!" the man shouted impatiently.

Itachi resisted the urge to knock off the old man's head. He directed his attacks to penetrate the undead creatures' skulls, hitting on where their frontal lobe would have been. That seemed to work. As soon as they were attacked the creatures hit the ground in a pile of useless rubble. He then focused on the undead that were attacking the goats. Most of the animals were ripped to pieces, but a few survived.

The pale man fell to the ground and clutched at his heart. Itachi reformed in front of him. He could see a dark aura about the man. The shroud of death? It was different than the dark auro that had been around the merpeople and Scorpio.

A great chill fell upon the air. Itachi looked up to see a creature with dark wings stand before him with a massive amount of chakra that made his old teammate Kisame seem pathetic.

"What are you doing?" Itachi asked.

"I have come to collect," the creature said.

"Who are you?" He was almost certain the Angel of Death stood before him — a Shinigami of unmatchable power. There weren't other beings he could think of that would have large feathered wings and yet appear humanoid.

"You know who I am," Death answered, his voice like an echo in a great cave.

"I don't think I'm going to let you take him just yet. I went through a great deal of trouble to stop these undead creatures from killing him," Itachi said. He drew his sword from the scabbard across his back. He wasn't sure where the sword came from, because it hadn't been there a moment ago. It was almost an exact replica of the sword he had in life.

The dark angel before him also drew a sword and mirrored Itachi's fighting stance. "Who are you to stop Death?"

"I'm the Reaper," Itachi said.

The dark angel put his sword back into his sheath, seemingly uninterested in fighting now. "Reaper. We will meet again," he promised. He looked down at the pale man clutching his chest. "He doesn't have long, even if he doesn't die now."

Itachi followed Death's gaze. His eyes used a power different from the Sharingan and he could see the cancer raging within the man, corrupting the very marrow of his bones. "No, but he doesn't have to die yet." He looked back up at Death and swallowed nervously. The Shinigami's essence was a chaotic pitch depth that stretched eternal — before and after time began.

"Very well, for now I will heed your request," Death said before he vanished in a swirl of black feathers.

"What did I get myself into?" Itachi wondered as he helped the pale, sickly man to his feet.


	4. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four:**

"A toast to the Hokage and his personal ANBU team!" Naruto cheered, holding out a cup of sake.

Sakura, Sai, and Kakashi touched their cups against his. "Kampai!"

Sakura drank with her teammates and then set aside her cup to focus on her bowl of ramen. Her gaze drifted towards Naruto's prosthetic right arm. He used his right hand with ease and not for the first time, she wondered if Sasuke was as adept with his prosthetic arm. He'd left the village shortly after Tsunade had fitted it for him.

"When I put this team together, it was only to last for four years serving as liaisons to the other hidden ninja villages. Three of those years are up," Kakashi said. He pointed his chopsticks at Naruto. "You need to start your training for the role of Hokage." He then angled his chopsticks at Sakura. "And Tsunade wants to teach you about running the hospital full time." And finally, he angled his chopsticks at Sai. "And I recommend you start planning that wedding of yours with Ino before she becomes violent."

All three of them groaned. It wasn't that Sakura wasn't looking forward to working at the hospital full time. It was her ultimate goal, but she wasn't quite ready to settle down to such a routine life. For the past three years, their ANBU team had helped their allied shinobi villages search for rebel factions that weren't pleased with the alliance. Sakura had taught both Naruto and Sai non-lethal methods of taking out their opponents. They would use pressure points to render an opponent helpless. With Naruto's speed, most of the opposition would be out cold before Sakura or Sai even arrived on scene.

"Okay, but we have a whole other year," Naruto pointed out. "And I'm not spending it stuck here babysitting a bunch of genin while they chase cats in some lame D-class mission."

"As I recall, those missions were quite a challenge for you," Kakashi teased. He cleared his throat. "I intend for you spend that time in Earth helping with their civil war and tracking down any leads on Sasuke," Kakashi answered.

"Really?" Naruto asked, his voice bubbled with excitement. He pumped his fist into the air. "Great!"

After his third bowl of ramen, Naruto excused himself to head towards the Hyuga compound. He and Hinata had a moderate sized-house amongst the Hyuga clan. Hinata would be overjoyed to learn that Naruto would soon be home permanently. She was currently three months pregnant — a souvenir of their last visit home.

"Shall I walk home with you, Hag?" Sai asked politely. Sakura kicked him in the shin. "Sakura," he corrected.

"No, thanks," Sakura said with a smile. "I think Ino would like to spend a little time with you. I'll see you later."

"If you're sure," Sai said with his eyebrows drawn together in concern.

Sakura shared a two bedroom apartment with Ino. However, since Ino and Sai started dating, it felt like she was intruding on their privacy. She spent most of her days on the road with Naruto and Sai. It seemed a little cruel that even when they were home, she still couldn't get any privacy from them.

"I'll see to it that she gets home safely," Kakashi promised.

Sai nodded and then hurried out of the ramen shop.

"He worries about you," Kakashi said, once it was just him and Sakura at the table. "We all do."

"I don't need you to worry about me. I can take care of myself," Sakura grumbled. She finished off the rest of the sake in her cup and used the carafe to pour more.

"And you learned from the best. Tsunade taught you more than just how to handle your drink," Kakashi agreed. "Family worries about each other. We're family, Sakura."

She sighed and set down her cup untouched. She looked across at Kakashi's dark, concerned gaze. "It's just hard. Naruto and Sai are both moving on. When our mission as your special liaisons is over, they have someone to return to. Me? I'm just waiting. I don't even know why I'm waiting. He's not coming back."

Kakashi sighed. "Love is a funny thing," he said. "Even if the one you love is gone, the loving them doesn't stop."

Sakura stared down at her empty bowl of ramen. It was selfish to talk about loss to Kakashi. He'd lost everyone important to him — his parents, teacher, and best friends.

Kakashi reached out and grasped Sakura's shoulder and squeezed her gently. "There's no need for such a guilty expression. I haven't lost everyone that I love." He smiled, his eyes crinkled at the corners. "Now, let's stop feeling sorry for ourselves. You're not the one with your face carved into the side of a mountain." He cringed. "For generations people will point and wonder about the fish lips I have hidden under my mask."

Sakura burst out laughing, remembering a misadventure in her genin days with Sasuke and Naruto as they tried to discover the face Kakashi hid under his mask.

"It's just, I thought that after the war, when Sasuke was back, that he would stay back." She picked up her cup of sake and sipped at it.

"I suggest you go easy on that," Kakashi said, gesturing towards the cup. "You only have a day to rest. You'll be heading for Iwagakure the day after tomorrow."

Sakura sat the cup back on the table, the alcohol sloshed over the sides. "Walk me home?"

"Of course," Kakashi agreed. "After all, you are my favorite student."

Kakashi escorted Sakura to her apartment. She hurried past Ino's bedroom and went straight to her own room at the end of the hall. She tried to ignore Ino's quiet giggles through the wall and Sai's deep chuckle. It was nice that her friends were happy, but it often made her own loneliness worse.

Sakura opened her desk drawn and pulled out an old, worn letter. It was from Sasuke. He'd sent it to her six months after he had been away from Konoha the second time.

'_Sakura,_

_Hi. I'm not very good with words. You know that. I don't want you to think the reason I left this time was because of you. It wasn't because of Naruto or Kakashi. Some bonds can never be severed and I regret that I spent so much time trying to destroy ours. I hope you're doing well. You are so strong now and I am proud of who you have become. I've been heading west towards Iwagakure. The land here is pretty barren compared to home. I miss the green — and I don't mean the trees. _

_I will return. Please, be patient with me._

_Forever in your debt, Sasuke.'_

Sakura carefully folded the letter and placed it back inside her desk. She turned off her lamp and crawled into her covers. And not for the first time, she soaked her pillow with tears before she finally drifted off into sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>OoO<strong>

Lucy stared down at the brown leather book with the golden image of a large family tree embossed across the front cover. The librarian of the Magnolia Town Public Library had sent her a message that the book she'd requested had arrived. With an eager step, Lucy hurried towards an empty table in the far corner of the third floor with the book clutched in her arms.

She didn't know much about her mother's side of the family. Growing up, she'd always been raised to appreciate the Heartfilias and the power such a noble family possessed. However, her mother was the celestial spirit mage. She was the one whom Lucy favored in both looks, talent, and personality. Aquarius had served as the link between Lucy and her lost mother. The mermaid had been her mother's celestial spirit and Lucy's childhood friend. And now she was gone. Lucy felt the mermaid's absence keenly, especially since she still possessed Aquarius' powers over water. It had been a consolation gift from the Spirit King, but she'd have preferred her friend.

She stared at the name on the front cover of the genealogy tree. _Namikaze._

The book had details dating back five centuries. She found her own name as the last entry in the book, her mother's written right before. _Layla Namikaze Heartfilia._

"There you are!" Natsu's loud, exuberant voice echoed throughout the third floor of the library. The librarian and several patrons glared at him in unison with a mixture of shushes and annoyed sighs as responses. Of course, Natsu ignored them all and ran towards Lucy. Happy trailed after him with his white wings flapping lazily.

"Try to keep it down, Natsu. This is a library," Lucy pointed out patiently. She opened the book from the front to see what it said about her first known ancestor. They were from a distant region to the east of the Pergrande Kingdom.

Happy landed on the table and peered down at the book, his blue cat-face scrunched up in disinterest. "This looks boring. You should read a story about fish! Did you know there are hundreds of different types in the ocean? And I'm sure there are hundreds more in the lakes and rivers!"

"What are you doing?" Natsu asked, sitting in the chair across from her and propping his feet on the table. His arms were folded behind his head and he stared up at the ceiling. "No one is here. It's like everyone is out doing exciting missions and we're stuck here." He gestured towards the others in the library. "With the civilians."

"I'm researching about my mother's side of the family," Lucy explained, keeping her voice at a whisper.

The librarian walked over towards the table with another book in her arms. "Here's the other book you requested, Lucy." She smiled patiently at Natsu as she set the book next to Lucy. "And if you could keep your voice down, Mr. Dragneel." She gave his elevated feet a pointed look.

"Yeah, sure," Natsu agreed, his feet sliding to the floor. He waited until the librarian walked away before he picked up the second book. "Water magic? Why are you studying this? Can't you just ask Juvia for some tips?"

"I don't want to bother her. She helped me some, but her magic is different than mine," Lucy answered. She'd rather give up the magic, if it meant she could have Aquarius back. She'd asked Loke about making such an offer to the Spirit King, but he'd said it was impossible. The death of a celestial spirit was permanent. Now, Lucy was worried about calling forth any of her spirits. She didn't want to endanger anyone.

"I can light some fires and you can practice putting them out," Natsu offered. He began to flip through the pages of the water magic book.

"Tempting," Lucy murmured. She studied the first few generations of her ancestors. The common trait amongst them was bright blond hair. Though, it seemed that the majority of her ancestors had blue eyes and not brown, but then she had her father's eyes. She continued to flip through the generations. About two centuries ago, her mother's side of the family had immigrated to Fiore.

She looked up to see that Natsu was reading her genealogy book upside down. "My mother's family was from the Fire Country in the far east," he said quietly.

Lucy stared at him in stunned silence. He never talked about his human parents. She didn't think he even remembered them after having been raised predominantly by Igneel.

"She used to tell me stories about the Hidden Leaf Village, where certain people had the ability to create fire and lightning by organizing their hands in certain patterns." Natsu looked up, his dark eyes serious. "How's your rent?"

"I'm covered for at least six months," Lucy answered. "Our last job with Gray and Erza was really profitable, especially so, since we were able to keep the majority of the money. You and Gray should try more often not to inflict too much collateral damage. That's why I'm here in the library, instead of stressing out at the job request board in the guild hall."

Natsu grinned. "Give me and Happy a couple of hours. We're going to ask Master Makarov if he knows of any jobs that might send us to Pergrande Kingdom. Then afterwards, we could continue east! Maybe we can track down our relatives!"

The idea was exciting! If they could find a mission in Pergrande Kingdom, their passage there would be paid for by the job. That would put them very close to the far east countries of their ancestors. "Do you know what your mother's maiden name was?" Lucy asked.

Natsu scratched the back of his head, tussling his unruly pink hair, and closed his eyes in concentration, his brow furrowed. "Haruno, I think. She had a brother, Uncle Kizashi, but I never met him." He shrugged. "She used to tell me stories when I was very young before I went to bed. I don't remember much though."

Lucy was impressed that he remembered that much. "While you speak with Master Makarov, I'll ask the librarian if there are any books about the Fire Country in the east."

* * *

><p><em>AN: I'm being asked about the pairings….a lot. It will take some time before anything romantic really happens so I was undecided about the final pairings. Though, I will say that as of now, I am leaning towards the cannon pairings: Sakura x Sasuke, Lucy x Natsu. I think that in order to keep Itachi in character, he will do everything in his power to keep Sasuke happy (and we all know he finds his happiness with Sakura!). And lately Fairy Tail has made it hard to ignore the chemistry between Lucy x Natsu. I've written several Lucy x Gray stories and I think I'd like to try writing NaLu. Besides, I have a lot of plans that involve Sasuke and am looking forward to his part in the story! And I kinda have a soft spot for Sakura x Sasuke's love story. _


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